Thursday, March 24, 2005 Edition: #2997
100% Canada #1 Grade A Bull!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
TODAY Sandra Bullock gets a star on the “Hollywood Walk of Fame” (just in time to hype her new movie) right next to “Speed” co-star Keanu Reeves, who received his in JANUARY . . . TONIGHT a special “American Idol” results show airs at 9pm/8pm CST with tabulations of an unprecedented re-vote, necessary due to TUESDAY’s screw-up with on-screen phone number graphics for voting (Cingular Wireless has to be loving this – they clean up on text-message voting charges twice in a week!) . . . If Michael Jackson beats child molestation charges, he could be signed up to a long-term Celine Dion-style Vegas performance contract (both the soon-to-open Trump International and the New Frontier are said to be interested) . . . General Motors pays an estimated $12.5 million per season for product placement on “Survivor”, but a “USA Today” review of the 9 different car & truck models GM has given away on the show finds that none have gone on to become big sellers (ah, it’s the “Survivor” jinx!) . . . FOX-TV has ordered up a 3rd season of “The OC” thanks to solid ratings . . . After whining about not having sex for 4 years, it seems 40-year-old “Desperate Housewives” star Teri Hatcher has finally found a solution; her new boyfriend is said to be cosmetic dentist Dr William Dorfman, who fixes teeth on “Extreme Makeover” . . . Looks like actor Russell Crowe’s band 30 Odd Foot of Grunts is no more, but he’s releasing an album without them on iTunes APRIL 19th . . . A spokesman for “The Insider” says rehab-ing host Pat O’Brien won’t be coming back to the show ‘until he is better’ (translation from Hollywoodese: we’ll never see this guy on TV again) . . . Actress Nicole Kidman recently had dinner with Al-Saadi Gaddafi, the 31-year-old playboy son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, for which she was presented with – a diamond necklace (ah, the perks of being a star!) . . . And in case you really care – “Life & Style Weekly” is reporting that “Newlyweds” Jessica Simpson & Nick Lachey are already secretly separated and just waiting for the right time to make the announcement.
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Celine Dion – She admits there’s a downside to her multi-million-dollar, long-term performance deal at Caesar’s in Las Vegas. The audiences are often tired, drunk, sick and/or asleep, she admits, and in many cases, not even fans!
• Clay Aiken – TODAY he’s on “Live With Regis & Kelly”.
• Dierks Bentley – His self-titled debut album has just been certified Platinum for sales of 1 million units. His 2nd album, “Modern Day Drifter”, is coming MAY 10th.
• Gwen Stefani – She tells “NME” she gets angry with people who don’t take her seriously as a musician, pointing out she’s been in a touring band for 18 years and opened for both U2 and the Rolling Stones.
• Lil’ Kim – She’s recording new material while awaiting sentencing JUNE 24th for lying to a federal grand jury.
TODAY’S MOVIE OPENING:
“Miss Congeniality 2: Armed & Fabulous” (PG-13 Comedy): Sandra Bullock returns as FBI agent ‘Gracie Hart’. In the original film (2000’s ‘Miss Congeniality”) she went undercover at the ‘Miss United States Pageant’ to prevent a threat against a contestant. This time around, she and new partner ‘Sam’ (Regina King) go undercover in Las Vegas to rescue kidnap victims. William Shatner returns as ‘Stan Fields’. Regis Philbin plays himself.
COMING ATTRACTIONS:
Producers of “Deadly”, the story of notorious sex killer Paul Bernardo & wife Karla Homolka, will attempt to time the movie’s release to coincide with her release from prison, tentatively JULY 5th (tacky, but smart – she’ll be on every front page) . . . “Pirates of the Caribbean” stars Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom & Keira Knightley will help crew a yacht named ‘Black Pearl’ in the around-the-world “Volvo Ocean Race” as part of the hype leading up to the upcoming sequel “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” . . . “Nightmare on Elm Street” star Robert Englund (‘Freddy Krueger’) is trying to persuade retired scream-queen Jamie Lee Curtis to reprise her role as ‘Laurie Strode’ just once more, for another “Freddy Vs Jason” movie . . . Ben Affleck will make his directing debut on “Gone, Baby, Gone”, a movie about a pair of private detectives searching for a kidnaped 4-year-old girl (he’ll also adapt the screenplay from the novel, but won’t act in the film) . . . “Sideways” star Thomas Haden Church has been cast as the as-yet-unnamed new villain in “Spider-Man 3″, coming in 2007 . . . South African native Charlize Theron has been passed over for a role as – a South African – in “In My Country”; the part has gone to French actress Juliette Binoche . . . Wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin is following his pal The Rock to Hollywood, first scoring a small role in Adam Sandler’s remake of “The Longest Yard” (opening MAY 27th) and now prepping for his debut as an action star in “The Condemned”, the first of 3 movies he’ll do for WWE Films . . . And Sean ‘P Diddy’ Combs says he wants to make an “Ocean’s 11″-style heist movie but with an all-black cast that might include Denzel Washington, Jamie Fox, Chris Rock, Chris Tucker, Jay-Z and – of course – himself.
NO PRICKS ALLOWED:
A new injector being developed by bioengineering students at the University of California at Berkeley may help ease the dread of getting a needle by taking all the pain out of the equation. The ‘MicroJet’ uses an electronic actuator that propels vaccinations, insulin or other drugs through the skin of patients without the device even touching them. If testing proves positive, we may one day be able to say goodbye to the hypodermic needle. (And all those icky shoot-em-up scenes in movies about junkies!)
– ANI
THE X & Y OF A HAPPY RELATIONSHIP:
A German scientist has calculated a mathematical formula for a happy relationship. Social psychologist Dr Hans-Werner Bierhoff at Ruhr University claims that couples should ideally compliment their partners 5 times for each time they criticize them, because the goodwill increases your potential to be happy. Professor Bierhoff and his colleague Elke Rohmann tested thousands of couples to come up with the formula revealed in their new book, “What Makes Love Strong”. (Subtitled: “You Are One Sweet, Thoughtful, Handsome, Intelligent, and Clever Son of a Bitch!”)
– Ananova
BUILDING A BETTER ALARM CLOCK?
Gauri Nanda, a 25-year-old scientist at MIT’s Media Lab, has come up with a gizmo she calls ‘Clocky’ that’s designed to get sleepyheads moving in the morning. It looks like a roll of toilet paper covered with shag carpeting, or perhaps one of those Tribbles from “Star Trek”, with wheels attached at both ends. When the snooze button is pressed, the clock rolls off the table and trundles to a hiding place where it lies in wait for 10 minutes before going off again. Each day it rolls to a different hiding place. She hopes to have ‘Clocky’ on the market in about a year. (Unfortunately, just like any other alarm, ‘Clocky’ falls to pieces when you heave it against a wall.)
– “Daily News”
BEWARE OF NUMB THUMB:
People addicted to cellphones can get overuse injuries from too much text messaging, according to Australia’s Dr Robert Menz. He cites the case of a 13-year-old girl he recently treated for ‘texting tendinitis’ after she sent too many text messages. Her one-thumb texting style led to a painful, 1-inch swelling of a tendon on her forearm. With rest, the lump disappeared in a week, Menz says. (And so did all her friends.)
– Australian Broadcasting Corp Online
H-D CINEMA:
A project is underway to replace all of Ireland’s traditional 35 mm film projectors in theaters with digital counterparts, a change that would make the country a world leader in digital cinema. A spokesman for the Irish Film Board says the pure digital projection ensures picture-perfect quality on the silver screen. By March 2006, more than 500 theaters across the country will be fitted with the projectors and the accompanying hardware needed to download encrypted films via satellite to a computer server. (Wow, now we’ll be able to see it 25 feet high and in hi-def – Harrison Ford’s nose hair!)
– CBC Online / UK Press Association
BS AMAZING FACT:
The average woman tries on 15 pairs of jeans before buying.
– Levi’s study.
AND WE QUOTE:
• “Pajamas are the exact thing that Michael shouldn’t be wearing to this trial in particular.”
– Donald Trump commenting on his pal Michael Jackson’s odd courtroom behavior.
• “We make love on it/Our children scratch their names beneath/The fire lights our passion/And the wine has numbed our grief./You bring other women/While I’m out of town/And I can always see/ When a stranger has sat down.”
– Jerry Hall’s first recording effort, a tune about the infidelities of ex-husband Mick Jagger called “Around This Table”, that’s due to be released THIS SPRING. She co-wrote the song with her friend Rachel Fuller, girlfriend of The Who’s Pete Townshend.
THE BULL SHEET 03.24.2K5
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1936 [69] Dr David Suzuki, Vancouver BC, scientist/environmentalist/broadcaster (3 Gemini Awards-“The Nature of Things” on CBC-TV)/author of 34 books/founder & chair of the charitable David Suzuki Foundation
1951 [54] Tommy Hilfiger, Elmira NY, fashion designer (‘Tommy Girl’) who’s name on anything jacks the price about 200%
1953 [52] Louie Anderson, Minneapolis MN, plus-sized stand-up comedian
1962 [43] Star Jones Reynolds, Badin NC, TV co-cost (“The View” since 1997)
1970 [35] Lara Flynn Boyle, Davenport IA, movie actress (“Men in Black II”)/TV actress (“The Practice” 1997-2003)
1974 [31] Alyson Hannigan, Washington DC, movie actress (“American Wedding”, “American Pie 1 & 2″)/TV actress (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” 1997-2003)
1976 [29] Peyton Manning, New Orleans LA, NFL QB (Indianapolis Colts)/5-time Pro Bowl QB/2-time NFL MVP
1990 [15] Keisha Castle-Hughes, Donnybrook, Australia, movie actress (Oscar nomination-“Whale Rider”) UPCOMING: Plays ‘Queen Apailana’ in “Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith”, coming MAY 19th.
BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
TODAY is –
• “St Gabriel’s Day”, the patron saint of RADIO, postal and telephone workers.
• “Inspect Your Cat’s Tongue Day”. You know you’ve always wanted to see what makes your cat’s tongue feel like sandpaper … today’s the day to find out!
• “No Homework Day”, an opportunity for every teacher to have a heart and be a hero heading into a holiday weekend.
• “Purim” (beginning at sundown), one of the most festive of Jewish holidays, it’s a time of prizes, noisemakers, costumes and treats.
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2002 [03] At the Academy Awards, “A Beautiful Mind” wins 4 Oscars, including ‘Best Picture’ and ‘Best Director’ for Ron Howard
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1975 [30] ‘Beaver’ becomes an official Canadian symbol
1911 [94] 1st ‘Venetian blind’, patented by Warburton Davis (next day, the 1st peeping Tom)
1930 [75] The recently discovered 9th planet is given the name ‘Pluto’
1971 [34] 1st ‘pine tree air freshener’ is introduced (my Uncle Wally still has it on his rearview mirror)
TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1936 [69] NHL’s ‘Longest Playoff Game’ lasts 176 minutes, 30 seconds and includes 6 overtime periods (Detroit Red Wings finally beat Montréal Maroons 1-0)
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Fri] “Expo 2005″ opens (Aichi, Japan)
[Fri] Good Friday (Christian)
[Fri] “Guess Who?” opens in movie theaters
[Sat] Legal Assistants Day
[Sun] Easter Sunday
[Sun] National Joe Day
[Mon] U2 “Vertigo Tour” begins (San Diego CA)
[Mon] Easter Monday
[Mon] Something On a Stick Day
This Week Is . . . National Cleaning Week
This Month Is . . . Music In Our Schools Month
BULL’S BITS . . .
EASTER TRUTH OR BS?
• One reason eggs became associated with Easter was people were prohibited from eating them during Lent so it was a real luxury to devour them on Easter Sunday. [TRUE]
• The word ‘Easter’ is derived from the pagan Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring, ‘Ostara’ or ‘Eostre’. [TRUE]
• The Easter Rabbit was originally a symbol of purity. [BS. It was a pagan symbol of fertility.]
• Rabbits are born naked, no fur whatsoever. [TRUE]
• ‘Egg Croquet’ was once a popular Easter activity. [TRUE]
• In the song “Here Comes Peter Cottontail”, he’s got colored eggs for Tom. [BS. “He’s got jelly beans for Tommy” and “colored eggs for Sue”, presumably so it rhymes.]
• A female rabbit is called a ‘cow’. [BS. A ‘doe’.]
• Gene Kelly co-starred with Judy Garland in the movie “Easter Parade”. [BS. It was Fred Astaire.]
• Rabbits with long floppy ears can’t hear as well as those with ears upright. [TRUE]
• Traditionally, if you didn’t wear at least one new article of clothing on Easter it was considered bad luck. [TRUE. Because it was thought a time to start anew.]
• Purple is a common color for Easter. In the ancient world the purple dye came from grapes. [BS. It came from crushed Mediterranean shellfish.]
• The word ‘Lent’ means ‘To Live Without’. [BS. It means ‘Lengthening of Days’.]
• In some European cities, it is customary to squirt perfume on people at Easter. [TRUE]
• In the song “Easter Parade”, they walk down Park Avenue. [BS. 5th Avenue.]
• The original site of the annual ‘Easter Egg Roll’ in Washington DC was the south lawn of the White House. [BS. It was first staged on the grounds of the US Capitol during the Presidency of James Madison (1809-1817), but congressman got tired of having to traipse through busted eggs.]
BS ‘TAT REMOVAL CONTEST’:
Here’s a good one from KIIS-FM Los Angeles – Ask listeners on-air and online what their worst tattoos are, where they are, and why they got them. Award the listener with the worst story (and worst tat) a free removal procedure at a local clinic (not a cheapo prize by any means).
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: When women do THIS, the setting is most likely to be indoors, but for men it’s more likely to be outdoors.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: Dream.
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now.
